'Terrific' SUNDAY TIMES 'A sinister tale, beautifully told' THE SUN 'Had me captivated from beginning to end. A haunting thriller that flawlessly weaves the past with the present. Tense, engrossing and unputdownable' LOUISE HARE 'Beautifully written, and so intricately plotted with utterly compelling characterisation and narratives that draw you relentlessly through the story to the shattering climax. An absolute gem of a literary thriller' PHILIPPA EAST 'A terrific spine chiller' TELEGRAPH 'A brilliant, dark, intricate story with a huge sting in the tale. I absolutely loved it' JENNIE GODFREY 'A House of Usher for the 21st Century: unnerving, unsettling and increasingly hard to put down' PHILIP GRAY 'A haunting and hypnotic story that creeped me out and then made me cry. Tautly written and subtle - what a book! Loved it' FIONA MITCHELL 'What a read! Twisty, turny, beautifully written, just brilliant' FRANCES QUINN 'A highly accomplished literary thriller... Allott is establishing herself as one of the most talented new writers around' TREVOR WOOD 'Such a cleverly crafted, suspenseful and moving novel, I absolutely loved it' ZOE SOMERVILLE, author or The Night of the Flood 'Utterly compelling.... will live with me for years to come. At times this thriller made me think of Sarah Waters, at times Belinda Bauer - it is gripping, intelligent and deliciously dark' FRANCESCA JAKOBI 'A wonderfully atmospheric, darkly brooding novel which had me transfixed from the first page to the last... a novel to lose yourself in, to savour, and one which will linger, disturbing and magnificent in equal measure, long after it is finished.' LOUISE FEIN 'Spooky, gothic splendour - this book will creep under your skin and keep you enthralled to the very last page... Stunning prose, drenched in atmosphere... the best book I've read in ages' ELENI KYRIACOU

Susan Allott is from the UK but spent part of her twenties in Australia, desperately homesick but trying to make Sydney her home. In 2016 she completed the Faber Academy course, during which she started writing this novel. She now lives in south London with her two children and her very Australian husband.